Vendee Globe and Alex Thomson / Hugo Boss

[mainsail1]

It beggars belief that after the experience of 4 Vendee Globe Races, AT does not have a design team that can build a reliably solid boat for world racing. What would it matter if a properly built boat weighed 50kg more?

 

[flaming]

Well, we know its one of the cross ribs/beams in the bow. We know the team has a plan, and we know from previous years AT can fix fibreglass. So theres a high chance he can get going again. Perhaps 12 or 18 hours for a fix, so I would anticipate him going again late today. We know with some certainty that the window of the LOW that the leaders are/were aiming for will close. It looks like a couple from the following pack (Sam and Louis) are repositioning for the longer route south behind (west of) the second high pressure. That would eliminate the risk of trying to squeeze through a closing gap. By my calcs, that would put the southern routing part of the second group (hopefully then including Alex) about 24 or 30 hours behind the leaders at CapeOGH. So probably not game over...

Fibreglass... lol....

Otherwise think you're about right. I'm about with the second group in the virtual game and I can't figure out the best way through the mess ahead!

 

[laika]

But one does have to drill well down in the menus to find that page.

Fair enough. As you say, from the "sport" page you have to find "all sports" then it doesn't actually count in their extended list you you need to pick "All sports A-Z and they have an article from a couple of weeks ago.

Having said that, the DM apparently has a big article on Hugo Boss:
Hi-tech boat hurtling its skipper into lead in Vendée Globe

 

[E39mad]

It beggars belief that after the experience of 4 Vendee Globe Races, AT does not have a design team that can build a reliably solid boat for world racing. What would it matter if a properly built boat weighed 50kg more?

He may have hit or glanced something without feeling it - rather early to say the build quality is the issue.

 

[stranded]

Fibreglass... lol....

Otherwise think you're about right. I'm about with the second group in the virtual game and I can't figure out the best way through the mess ahead!

Horrible isn’t it - looks like the virtual game could be won, or certainly lost, in the next 3 or 4 days.

 

[cherod]

is there such a thing as virtual damage ?

 

[stranded]

is there such a thing as virtual damage ?

Doesn’t appear to be - be a good idea though - a tank of wear and tear protectant that gets used up when pushing too hard.

 

[Airscrew]

Fibreglass... lol....

Sorry - amusing typo... Kevlar/Carbon etc - I do know the difference!!!

 

[E39mad]

To those saying that Alex was sandbagging almost got it right.....he'll more likely be vacuum bagging

Anyway at least he has some temperature still so it can cure - might take a while longer further south.

 

[cherod]

To those saying that Alex was sandbagging almost got it right.....he'll more likely be vacuum bagging

Anyway at least he has some temperature still so it can cure - might take a while longer further south.

he should give Plucky from Sailing into Freedom a call,, he can sort just about anything while on the move

 

[Roberto]

VPLP (HB designer) says AT will fix in about 10-12 hours before resuming in the normal route. Apparently just a tiny delamination between a bulkhead and the hull.
No talks whatsoever of abandoning.

Vendée Globe. L’architecte d’Hugo Boss : « C’est sous contrôle, Thomson répare et repart en course ! »

 

[cherod]

" tiny " ?

 

[Buck Turgidson]

good spot then and fixing it now is not so bad the way the weather is developing. He's probably going to be in the same system as the chasing pack.

 

[Roberto]

You are right, my interpretation, he does not say anything about the size.
He says it needs "un coup de strat autour de la fissure", litt. add a bit of lamination around the crack.
In case of significant damage, "un coup de strat" would not have been the proper wording; if they are really telling the full story of course.

" tiny " ?

 

[cherod]

You are right, my interpretation, he does not say anything about the size.
He says it needs "un coup de strat autour de la fissure", litt. add a bit of lamination around the crack.
In case of significant damage, "un coup de strat" would not have been the proper wording; if they are really telling the full story of course.

that dont look like a " tiny " piece of green tape to me ,,, but hey ho i hope he gets sorted.

 

[newtothis]

Odd that a once-every-four-years event where people stand a non-trivial chance of dying, which was being lead by a Brit is getting zero coverage from the uk media. Elitist? Well no more so that F1. *Certainly* no more so than the Americas cup which does seem to get covered. "Slow"? In a country which lauds cricket? Srsly? The BBC web site which has articles on "ultimate fighting" has no mention of the VG. The Graun has a "sailing" section under "other sports" but it only seems to be updated by australian journos as the last articles seem to be about the Sydney-Hobart.

To be fair, he's been on Radio 4's Today programme at least twice since the start of the race.
As an outsider Brit, I've always been amused at the British obsession with sports where it usually gets its arse kicked (football, rugby, cricket), but pays little attention to the ones where it performs well (sailing, rowing, cycling).

 

[CLB]

To be fair, he's been on Radio 4's Today programme at least twice since the start of the race.
As an outsider Brit, I've always been amused at the British obsession with sports where it usually gets its arse kicked (football, rugby, cricket), but pays little attention to the ones where it performs well (sailing, rowing, cycling).

England is ranked 2 in world rugby, 5 in world football and 1 in world cricket. I wouldn't call that having our arse kicked. Unless you are talking about the other bits of Britain, of course

 

[laika]

To be fair, he's been on Radio 4's Today programme at least twice since the start of the race.

Radio 4 is aimed at a demographic I try to avoid being part of*. I note that one of the bbc articles Giblets pointed me at mentioned that the 3 women competing under the british flag were interviewed on women's hour.

*I suppose "Oh I'm not a 'radio 4 listener', I just never re-tuned the radio after the shipping forecast" is a valid defence...

 

[nortada]

To be fair, he's been on Radio 4's Today programme at least twice since the start of the race.
As an outsider Brit, I've always been amused at the British obsession with sports where it usually gets its arse kicked (football, rugby, cricket), but pays little attention to the ones where it performs well (sailing, rowing, cycling).

Wasn’t aware that England gets it’s arse kicked in Rugby - Runners up in the RWC, current 6 Nations Champions and the ladies consistently beat the rest of the world.

 

[nortada]

England is ranked 2 in world rugby, 5 in world football and 1 in world cricket. I wouldn't call that having our arse kicked. Unless you are talking about the other bits of Britain, of course

CLB - you beat me to it?